Two leading Highland Councillors have written to teachers and parents urging them to have their say about what they call “radical” Scottish Government education plans.
Alasdair Christie and Andrew Baxter have hit out at proposals which “do nothing to declutter the current arrangements for Scottish education”.
Mr Christie and Mr Baxter wrote: “They introduce new layers of scrutiny and management, and confuse responsibility and accountability for the management of schools.
“The Government intends to remove responsibility from local Councils to improve education in local schools.
“It will centralise aspects of school management, removing local democratic control and splitting up the running of schools from other local services for children and families.
“We believe that the Government’s proposals will be counter-productive, and that they will increase bureaucracy.”
The Scottish Governmentinsists the proposals will deliver an “empowered school and teacher-led system”.
The Bill aims to establish a Headteachers’ Charter about the rights and responsibilities of school heads and greater parental and community participation in school life.
It also seeks to develop “professional learning and leadership” that would be supported “in both curriculum and specific sectors”.